title: Protein aggregates as depots for the release of biologically active compounds.
abstract: Protein misfolding and aggregation is one of the most serious problems in cell biology, molecular medicine, and biotechnology. Misfolded proteins interact with each other or with other proteins in non-productive or damaging ways. However, a new paradigm arises that protein aggregation may be exploited by nature to perform specific functions in different biological contexts. From this consideration, acceleration of stress-induced protein aggregation triggered by any factor resulting in the formation of soluble aggregates may have paradoxical positive consequences. Here, we suggest that amorphous aggregates can act as a source for the release of biologically active proteins after removal of stress conditions. To address this concept, we investigated the kinetics of thermal aggregation in vitro of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) as a model substrate in the presence of two amphiphilic peptides: Arg-Phe or Ala-Phe-Lys. Using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and turbidimetry, we have demonstrated that under mild stress conditions the concentration-dependent acceleration of ADH aggregation by these peptides results in formation of large but soluble complexes of proteins prone to refolding.
authors.affiliation: A.N. Bakh Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospect, 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Natalya V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Artemova
authors.affiliation: A.N. Bakh Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospect, 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Alexei S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kasakov
authors.affiliation: A.N. Bakh Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospect, 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Zoya M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Bumagina
authors.affiliation: A.N. Bakh Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospect, 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Elena M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lyutova
authors.affiliation: A.N. Bakh Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky prospect, 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia. Electronic address: bella@inbi.ras.ru.
authors.forename: Bella Ya
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Gurvits
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007700:Kinetics; D008027:Light; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D017510:Protein Folding; D012542:Scattering, Radiation
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase